The Academic Achievement Awards is a program that
recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the
Division II level.

One hundred and fifteen institutions sent in nominees
for the 2008-09 Academic Achievement Awards, up from the 67
institutions that participated last year. There are a total of
4,020 student-athletes being recognized this year. A year ago,
2,155 student-athletes were honored. The Northern Sun
Intercollegiate Conference had a record number 391 student-athletes
honored, followed by the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with
365 nominees.

In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic
Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II
institution MUST BE a CURRENT dues paying member of the DII
ADA.

Also, the student-athlete must have a cumulative grade
point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have attended a
minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work, and
have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during
his/her last academic year.

"We are excited that we almost doubled the scholar-athletes that
were nominated from a year ago and want to thank those colleges and
universities that took part in honoring its student-athletes,"
stated Division II ADA President Ed Matejkovic, director of
athletics at West Chester (Pa.) University. "We look forward to
more participation in the future and want to congratulate this
year's winners."

"This is a tremendous honor for our student-athletes, our
university and our conference," said Ferris State Athletics
Director Tom Kirinovic. "The criteria for
this award is much higher than most of the academic honors which
our student-athletes typically have a chance to receive so for
almost 10 percent of our total student-athlete body to receive this
recognition is a tremendous feat.

"I also want to applaude our coaches because they're the
ones who are responsible for recruiting this high caliber of
student-athletes," added Kirinovic, who recently was selected to
serve on the 2009-10 DII ADA Board of Directors.

The DII ADA, which is administered by the National Association
of College Directors of Athletics, is the first organization of its
kind to provide educational and networking opportunities;
enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and
establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the
profession of Division II athletics directors.